Tag Archives: textiles

Considering the Coastal Grandmother

Posted on August 26, 2022 by Lynn

I’ve been avoiding the topic of the Coastal Grandmother, even though it seems a perfect subject for this blog.  Why?   It smacks so much of wealth and white privilege. Everything is white, from the people, to the backgrounds, to the … Continue reading →

Posted in 2020s | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Hope Skillman Fabrics

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Lynn

I’ve been wanting to write about textile designer and manufacturer Hope Skillman (1908-1981) for a long time, but pictures of her—especially with any sense of what she wore—are hard to find.  This Vogue advertisement, featuring her fabric on a dress … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, 1960s | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Big Hair at the Grand Canyon, 1972

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Lynn

That’s a pretty elaborate hairdo for a vacation outing, but some people put in a lot of effort to look good no matter what the occasion.  This very cheerful woman was not following current hairstyles, which had moved on to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1970s | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

That Seventies Polyester

Posted on July 1, 2022 by Lynn

Was there ever another decade more closely associated with a fabric than the seventies and polyester?  I have a book featuring Sears clothing from the early 1970s, and it is simply amazing how many of the clothes are made from … Continue reading →

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A Faith Ringgold Retrospective

Posted on February 18, 2022 by Lynn

Aren’t there times when you wished you lived in New York City?  I wish I were there now to see the Faith Ringgold retrospective at the New Museum.  It is the first comprehensive US retrospective of her work, beginning with … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mother’s Day at the First Christian Church, 1973

Posted on May 9, 2021 by Lynn

The First Christian Church of Corpus Christi, Texas decided to honor the oldest and youngest mothers in the congregation on Mother’s Day, 1973.  What a wonderful contrast between the outfits of the very old and still quite young.  We can … Continue reading →

Posted in 1970s | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A Dress Made from a Sari, 1971

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Lynn

I was lucky that a year was printed on the back of this photo, since the dress itself would have been hard to date. The TV is most likely from the sixties, but people used to keep their sets for … Continue reading →

Posted in 1970s | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Pola Stout in Pola Stout

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Lynn

Since Lizzie Bramlett of the blog The Vintage Traveler has been covering the fascinating work of Hollywood designer Adrian, I remembered an old post I wrote about one of his main textile designers, Pola Stout. I accidentally eliminated it some … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 1940s, 1950s | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Fashionopolis by Dana Thomas

Posted on January 3, 2020 by Lynn

First the bad news, then the good: that’s the structure of this book.  You can see it in the subtitle—“The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes.” The bad news section of the book, about a fifth of … Continue reading →

Posted in 2010s, General | Tagged | 1 Comment

Those Twenties Textiles

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Lynn

A rule of thumb with sewing is to choose a simple pattern when you have a complex textile.  Simple lines will make the fabric shine, while a complicated design might not even show up well. Might this be why the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920s, General | Tagged , | Leave a comment